


Equinoccio

by AGreekDemigod



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Adam as Summer, Adashi Month 2019, Adashi Month 2020, Alternate Universe - Magic, Crush at First Sight, Forbidden Love, Happy Ending, Love Letters, M/M, Matt as Autumn, Matt is a good friend, Mentioned Iverson, Mentioned Veronica McClain, Opposites Attract, Season Representatives AU, Secret Relationship, Shiro as Winter, Summer/Winter prompt, They are the literal representations of seasons, adashi dancing, adashi reunion fic, but better later than never, but im a mess so :(, featuring Matt as adashi's matchmaker, i only tagged the characters that have dialogues, i was supposed to post this for the adashi month 2019, kinda??, royal au, season realm, you'll see - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 15:00:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26400787
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AGreekDemigod/pseuds/AGreekDemigod
Summary: In a realm set in a dimension above ours, where the Earth is divided in four states, one for Spring, one for Summer, one for Autumn and one for Winter, two monarchs fall in love against the odds, keeping it secret to the rest of the world and unable to meet because of the differences of their own natures.Except, of course, in the day of the Equinox.******A magical royal au where Adashi are the kings of two opposite seasons (and Matt is the tired friend that has to deal with their longing)Done for the Adashi Month 2019! (but posted in the AM2020 lol)
Relationships: Adam/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 20





	Equinoccio

**Author's Note:**

> Before reading!!!!
> 
> -hav you guys watched Tinkerbell? (the animated movies). Well, they are great and I inspired this worldbuilding in them a bit, in the whole season sections the fairy realm is divided into. 
> 
> -In this fic, the Season's realm is divided in four different sections too with different geography characteristics and flora and fauna. When a Season (Representatives) comes out of their den, they affect the world around them and so seasons in our realm start to change too so it is like a simplified parallel dimension.
> 
> -Seasons are similar to royalty but they have magic powers and a connection to Earth and they do not follow a bloodline succesion.
> 
> -Seasons are not deities but they are closed to be ones, the difference is that Seasons have a lifespan while Deities in this au do not and Seasons do surrender to the Deities' laws of nature (Deities are incorporeal beings like Time, Nature, Void, etc). The only Deity that interacts actively with the Seasons is The Wind and it is it the one that chooses the next apprentice to become the next Season monarch. 
> 
> -The Season Realm has population but there are not as many of them as there are humans and they live longer as well. The Wind chooses one from each Season as a succesor.
> 
> -A song I would recommend to listen before reading (or while reading or after reading it, but just LISTEN please) is 'Besos en Guerra' by Morat feat. Juanes, I had this fic idea while listening to it and it is the kind of vibe I wanted to transmit while writing it. So check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1oeD2m2UQAI

Adam smiled when he felt the presence.

“It's that time already, isn’t it?”

It was more of a greeting than a question and Matt, who had appeared silently at the edge of the clearing, nodded as Adam approached him, his brown eyes shining as he faced his old friend.

Adam took note of every change in him, which since they were immortal, there weren’t any. His hazel hair was longer than the last time Adam had seen him though, tied in a low ponytail to keep it out of his handsome face, giving him a mature look that could have fooled him if he didn’t recognise the playful edge of his smile.

Adam wished he could hug him, but the protocols forbid every contact between Seasons outside the Equinox, and that wouldn’t be until later that night. A shame, he had truly missed him.

“I’ve brought the usual delivery too,” Matt said, breaking the silence.

Adam’s attention turned to follow the movement of his hand as Matt reached into his pocket, taking out of it a dark blue bag that seemed to carry something no bigger than an apple. It had silver patterns beautifully sewed on its surface and Adam tried not to look very expectant, which he knew he failed judging by Matt’s chuckle.

“Try not to open it in a place I haven’t crossed yet.”

And it was Adam’s turn to nod then, not looking up as he traced with his finger the snowflake designs decorating the soft leather.

“It will make it chillier than it already is,”

Matt handed him the usual envelope that came with the gift before asking, “Anything I should deliver back in your name?”

Expecting it, Adam extended his palm to one of the bushes around him, while with his other hand he tried to decipher what was inside the little bag only by touching. He could feel the smooth hardness of wood under the leather, curving around the edges in the way coffers did, and his excitement made the fresh air of autumn turn warmer for a second.

The flowers of the bush had lost most of their petals now, affected by Matt’s presence but one of its buds brightened when Adam held it on his palm, as if trying to look prettier for Adam to choose it. It was a late bloomer, with no luck of surviving the upcoming autumn once Adam left for his castle, but with his blessing as a present and a little bit of golden magic, Adam had assured it more than enough time.

“To the same person as always,” Adam said, wrapping the bud in a piece of his own cape. That way, the magical silk would protect it from Matt’s presence and the crude weather of its destination. “Thanks again, Matt.”

His friend did a small joking reverence before turning back and continued on his way into the forest, summer fading with every step he took. Leaves and grass turning brown and orange as Autumn made his entrance.

***

The day he had met Shiro had been one of the most important days in Adam’s life.

It had been, after all, his coronation day. The culmination of years of preparation, celebrated in a ceremony that would recognise him as the new representative of the season of Summer in the centuries to come, for him to yield its power with wisdom and generosity to all the places on Earth.

The pressure was insane.

“How are you doing, my boy?” Coran greeted him as he entered into Adam’s chambers. The medals on his jacket shined like golden coins under the sunlight that filtered through the tall windows. “Ready yet?”

Adam bit back a sarcastic remark about his sweating hands and quickened heartbeat, refusing to let any of that nervousness show. Instead, he forced himself to smile, hoping that whatever Coran saw in his eyes would be overshadowed by it, enough to fool the old man. It did not.

“It is less scary than you are imagining it to be, I promise,” Coran whispered, in the way a father addresses a troubled son, and for tiny moment Adam felt ashamed of how relieved those words made him feel, how they were enough to relax his stiff shoulders and give him courage to face the inevitable.

There was no running away now, and so Coran extended his arms towards Adam, facing his palms up.

“Now give me your hands, boy."

Their hands shone in golden light the second they met, magic and warmth increasing as Coran’s voice echoed through the chambers. Adam welcomed that new power into his body, letting his mentor’s words transfer his former title and position to him, his spirit growing bigger and brighter.

It had been liberating, in a certain way, a part of him he didn’t know it was missing falling finally into place as he let go off Coran’s hands, and Adam felt himself smiling at the pride that shone on Coran’s face, his first sincere smile since that morning.

They walked from Adam’s private chambers to the main hall of the palace, arms linked as Coran led him through the place Adam had considered his home for the past few centuries, and that would become from then on the centre of his reign.

It felt like an eternity, watching every column and arc of its structure, the marble naked to the eye for everyone to admire. And Adam felt himself fall in love again with that place, as he saw the sunlight bathing the path to the throne in golden light once they reached the ballroom.

He paid no attention to the stares of the guests, or when Coran dropped his hold, so Adam could make the rest of the way by himself.

His mind was focused only in the other side of the room, where the Summer throne stood on the top of the stairs, flanked by the representatives of Spring and Autumn at each side, who kneeled at the sight of him.

Light poured through the windows and illuminated every inch of the palace, kissing Adam’s skin and making his gown glimmer in pure gold, the fine silk of the long skirts waving before him as he ascended to his new rightful place and his entire being glittered under the sun, so much that it hurt to see, that it stole your breath away entirely.

He heard Coran’s voice presenting him as his heir and now successor to the throne, who he now crowned as King. Veronika moved forward then, kneeling again as she presented the Spring Staff as a show of deference - a symbolism of the direct connection between the two warm seasons, and the eternal loyalty of Spring as Summer’s herald.

Then proceed the courtiers, all doubling over, heads pressed against the marble. And then the guests. And by the end of it, Adam had a multitude prostrated to his feet and a gold laurel crown over his head, which had been passed through generations to all of the Summer Monarchs before him. And just as tradition stated, Adam accepted the staff and sit on the throne and the room voiced their approval.

It was his beginning.

***

There was only so much Adam could tolerate in a pointless conversation, but a comment about the weather was out of question. The conversation had prolonged for too long.

Saying his excuses, Adam walked away from the circle of his court, fed up of social mannerisms and superficial chit chat.

From a corner of his eye, he spotted another guest heading his way, the dark blues and greys of his clothes betraying his royal position. Adam’s eyes roamed through the ballroom as he searched for an escape, because he wasn’t in the mood for political conversations either.

The opportunity presented itself in the form of a young man leaning in one of the columns, and Adam didn’t think twice before plastering on a smile and heading his way.

“I’ve finally found you,” he said and the man turned to look at him, his eyes opening wide in surprise before his expression turned into a confused frown. His eyes and hair were dark as the night sky, and Adam couldn’t help but notice the strong jaw that lined up a very handsome face. “You owe me a dance,” he lied.

Shiro, only Shiro back then, no Winter King but his apprentice, blinked back dumbfounded, mouth gaping as he found himself suddenly loss at words.

“May I have this dance with you instead, Your Majesty?” A voice interrupted, motivated by Shiro’s lack of response and Adam bit the inner part of his cheek before turning to look at Iverson’s serious stare, his grip on Shiro’s arm losing strength until his hand fell to his side. The door promising an escape from a political conversation closing as quickly as it appeared.

Hiding his sigh with a smile, Adam followed the King of the Winter realm to the centre of the ballroom, ignoring the weight of a pair of dark eyes on the back of his neck, that did not leave him until the night ended.

Still, the man never asked for his fake promised dance and nor did Adam insist, too busy appeasing his guests to do so.

***

A season’s reign is long and solitary, a kingdom of one person that affected millions.

Since the moment Adam brought that first summer, he was destined to bring it again every year, wandering around as woods bloomed at his presence, touching the vegetation to turn it to its best splendour, making them more colourful, turning the air warmer. Summer would be alive as long as he stayed out in the wild wandering through the valleys, coasts and mountains of his realm, until Autumn came and Adam returned back to his palace, his work complete until the following year.

As any other Season representative, Adam lived in a construction that reflected his status and power, a den where he could rest once his work was over.

The palace of the Summer King, also called The Summer Palace, was a beautiful classic construction on the top of a cliff in the east side of his realm, with open windows that let the sea breeze and the sound of its waves filter inside the place and counted with at least two terraces per room from where you could admire the rising sun every morning. It was bigger than The Spring Mansion, placed in a hidden spot in the forest and surrounded by a river, and had an even better view than Autumn’s Manor, set in a hill where hilleniums bloomed the whole year.

It also included an extra entrance apart from the principal one (which was always open to the public and everyone who came to visit), that could only be described as a marble trail that led all the way down the cliff to a natural pool in the beach, a private space built by a prior monarch for them to be able to play around in the clear waters without having to be careful of the waves.

Adam would use that entrance more often than he would admit to, spending hours walking down the coast as he admired the waves and the sea life that came out of it from time to time to continue the cycle of life, and bathing peacefully in the private pool where nowhere would dare to find him.

Centuries later, his eyes would roam in the horizon as he looked for something else, knowing well enough that at the other side of the vast sea, there was someone he was aching to see, in a place he could never dare to cross to.

***

It didn’t take long for Adam to feel lonely in that wide space and bored of the decrease in chores he had, compared to his apprentice days. Monarch as he was, his main job was making sure his season went on without any mishap, leaving him with an insane amount of free time in the months before the preparations. Used to the noise of a loud family household, that silent freedom made Adam prone to melancholy and demotivation, which he fought by searching ways of getting distracted and busy, no matter in which field.

That’s probably why when he got the first present, he was less cautious than he should have been.

“What is this?”

The force of his glare would have intimidated anyone else if it hadn’t been Matt at the end of the receiver, who barely blinked back before shrugging it off.

They had been friends before they became rulers, two young apprentices that played around when their mentors weren’t looking, or, pretended not to look, running through The Autumn Manor’s halls as they plotted about how to steal tarts from the kitchen before lunchtime or ways to skip their lessons so they could play in the fountain in the Spring Manor’s gardens.

Wonderful days that even if they were not quite as often as Adam would have liked, he treasured them all just as much as he treasured his friendship with Matt, despite that annoying habit of his of picking on him.

“A friend had asked me to deliver it to you,” he replied and Adam scowled because Matt was totally being difficult on purpose.

“A friend,” he repeated, knowing full well that Matt only had one other friend apart from him, a friend whose power and influence was as vast as winter was cold.

Another ruler, in another castle, with a whole ass season under his care.

Matt had only chuckled at his reaction, his eyes shining even brighter at the idea of making Adam snap.

“A friend,” he nodded, before chuckling some more when Adam threw a shoe at him.

***

The gift had come with a letter so Adam felt obligated in responding to it as well.

He didn’t remember his own words as well as he remembered Shiro’s, but he still kept the letter along with the gift, and all the others that came after in the centuries of correspondence he and Takashi shared.

That first gift had a special place on his bedside table, so Adam could admire it as he lay down in bed, eyes following the tiny snowflakes falling inside the crystal orbe, showering the ice figure of a male lion standing on two paws and extending his frontal ones towards the snowflakes, as if trying to play with them.

That new gift though, might replace it in his favourite trinket spot if Shiro’s words in his recent letter were to be believed.

Adam’s steps were loud against the marble as his impatience made him run towards the farthest room of the palace, an exterior terrace that practically hanged above the cliff, with windows only a third of the total height and covered with a dome, to protect it from the cold winds that came from the Autumn’s realm, getting stronger as the equinox settled. 

He could hear Matt’s warning as he lay the gift in the centre of the room, gently to not damage the porcelain of the small music box that was Shiro’s gift.

The soft notes of a lullaby filled the space, and Adam felt himself relaxing at its rhythm, too focused on the beauty of the musical piece to feel the temperature cooling down as the song continued.

_You have told me about your loneliness before,_ the letter had said, _and when you asked me about my world and words failed me to describe it, I couldn’t help but notice that you were slightly disappointed._

Adam watched with fascination the fog created by his own breathing, his fingers reaching to grasp it before it dissolved into the chilling air, mixing with the humidity in the room. By the time the song had reached its chorus, part of it had started solidifying in front of his eyes, frost and magic taking the shape of an snowy owl extending its wings, feathers glittering like diamonds under the moonlight before it took flight.

_“I thought about making you see it yourself, even if it is only for a night.”_

Adam laughed breathlessly when the white owl circled around him, cooing as sparkling magic rained every time it flapped its wings, showing Adam sceneries of frozen waterfalls and white forests, of northern lights that illuminated the night starry sky and unknown wildlife that considered that place their home.

Albino foxes and squirrels started to form from the snow and magic that fell to the ground, brushing Adam’s skirts as they hopped around in an elaborate dance, wolves and many others taking form and joining them as the owl circled high in the dome, showering them all in snowflakes than dissolved like morning dew before touching Adam’s skin.

As he marvelled at the whites, silvers and greys, Adam could almost imagine how the snow would feel like if he didn’t have his powers, not caring in experiencing the cold if he had someone to hug him after, wishing for the song to never end and sighing at the symbolism of such a gift. 

Shiro had sent him a piece of winter.

***

The doors of the Winter Castle blew wide open as soon as Matt reached the top of the stairs. Inside, a figure hurried up to meet him, eyes sparkling with both happiness and nervousness to his presence.

“Did he like it?” asked Shiro, breathless because of both the exercise and anticipation. Matt rolled his eyes when he noticed how tightly Shiro was gripping the edge of his white fur cape.

“He would have looked happier if you had been the one giving it yourself.”

It was the wrong thing to say. Shiro’s expression, which had been shinning with hopefulness just a second before, darkened into a grimace at the reminder of what wasn’t an option for him, and Matt felt a sting of guilt in his chest, because his friend didn’t deserve such a mean treatment only because Matt was exhausted.

“Yes, he loved it, as always,” Matt sighed as he reclined lazily on the sofa of the main hall, letting the soft mattress ease the pain of his aching back and the warmth of the fireplace to melt away his sour mood. Once he felt like himself again, he reached into his bag. “And this,” he said, as he placed the present in the table under the attentive stare of his friend, “is your part.”

The shift in Shiro’s attitude was immediate.

Even after centuries of acting as their messenger, Matt would never tire of the fond look in their friends’ faces as they received each other’s correspondence. Distant facades dropping the second they spotted him coming their way and childish enthusiasm replacing their graceful mannerisms, a vulnerability that they hadn’t allowed themselves to feel since they ascended to their respective positions and that made all the troublesome trips back and forth between their kingdoms worth it for Matt.

“I gotta be back on duty, Shirogane,” he said, when it was obvious Shiro couldn’t hold back from inspecting the gift any longer. Matt patted his shoulder amicably before opening the doors to continue his path through the realm, breathing in the cold air before turning his hazel eyes to his friend one last time. “But once I’m done, I want every juicy detail.”

*

Twice a year without fail, there’s an event in the Seasons’ realm where day and night last the same and seasons start to change as the equinox settles.

Those are the times of rebirth and rejoice, of relaxing and rest, where two heralds, one to precede Summer and one to precede Winter, would make their way through two kingdoms and two states, seeds blooming in the snow where Spring’s bare feet hit the ground and branches losing their leaves at Autumn’s windy presence, the forest welcoming them and whispering in delight and relief at their passing.

It was the only day where their influence was bigger than both Summer and Winter’s kings, big enough to neutralize their powers and allow them to meet in the gala held that night without facing any consequences.

Two days anticipated by Adam and Shiro for the whole year. The ones they would never write about in their letters but that would never leave their minds as they imagined all the possibilities, full of stories to tell and eager to share with the other. And when the time came and they entered the decorated ballroom, their eyes would roam with excitement around the guests, searching for each other with their hearts in their throats, time stopping the second their eyes met in the crowd.

And it would be magical, but not in a literal way as they were used to, but in a personal way, privately and extraordinary and perceivable by none other but them.

That moment, just as the many others that would follow that night until dawn, would be treasured in their memories and recalled many times in the months that would follow, as they waited for the next Equinox to arrive.

*

The first time they met in one of those parties, it had been only a month after Shiro had sent that first letter.

Their only prior interaction had been on Shiro’s coronation day, a limited conversation shadowed with the stiffness of formalities and politeness, the kind that are supposed to be meaningless and forgettable for the two parties involved.

In comparison, the man Shiro had got to know through their correspondence had shown himself to be delightfully witty and good-natured, with a certain kindness that made him seen approachable and ideas and opinions expressed in such an honest way that Shiro never failed in feel fascinated by his responses.

It was not impossible to imagine the man standing in front of him as the same playful man from their letters, but the glowing golden aura, the majestic clothes and stunning features did make it a bit difficult. And so Shiro stood there in front of the snack table where he had approached him, struggling to find the right words.

It must have shown in his face, because the king of the Summer realm had smiled amicably before starting the conversation, introducing himself by the name of Adam instead of the noble title they had been using in their letters

Shiro had been too focused on admiring how the chandelier’s light reflected on his eyes to feel perplexed by how naturally he had given him his actual name in exchange, and not the usual nickname he gave to strangers.

“Takashi,” Adam had repeated, slowly, before smirking at the blush that had crept unwillingly to Shiro’s cheeks. “A pleasure to finally meet you.”

At some point of the night, they moved from the main ballroom to one of the balconies, searching for a space where they could be free of the glances thrown at them from the other guests but it hadn’t been until Adam suggested to move to the gardens when they finally found that feeling of privacy, away from any interruption that could cut the flow of their conversation.

The gardens would become the place they would hide while attending the ball from that point on in their friendship. Their secret spot where they could talk without the pressure of controlling their words, joking and laughing and even complaining about stuff they wouldn’t dare to mention to anybody else, reveling in the freedom of being themselves in front of someone new, of someone they felt attracted to.

“What are you doing?” Adam had asked one time, when Shiro had suddenly got up from his seat before extending his hand towards Adam, who was still sitting on the fountain’s edge with a look of curiosity on his face.

“I owe you a dance,” Shiro said, his gaze avoiding his almost timidly, referencing another time many decades ago, before their letters and meetings, where he had been only an apprentice who had been asked for a dance by a newly crowned king.

And judging by the redness in Adam’s ears as he accepted his hand, he remembered too.

Shiro leaded them to a corner of the garden close enough to the ballroom to hear the music that came from inside but still hidden for no other guests to see them, and they both swayed in each other’s arms at the soft notes of the of the orchestra, enjoying the closeness that the excuse of dancing provided them.

The vision of Adam’s smile as Shiro spun him around had been enough to make his chest hurt, charmed by the open glee in the other man’s expression, eyes shining like jewels as his energy spread like an enchantment to the vegetation around them which started to illuminate as fireflies fluttered in the night.

“I’m sorry,” Adam said, not looking sorry at all, his grip on Shiro’s hand not hesitating for a moment. “I affect my surroundings when I feel strong emotions.”

“And what are you feeling?” Shiro asked, breathless at the intensity of his need for an answer, hoping that those feelings weren’t one-sided, that was whatever was affecting him, was affecting Adam too.

Adam’s voice had not wavered when he responded and Shiro had almost kissed him there, sweet words echoing in his mind like a song.

“Immensely happy.”

*

“I think I love you,” Shiro had said, not on that occasion but on another one, many dances away from their first one.

They had been in Autumn’s manor’s gardens this time, and Adam had smiled at him in such a warm way that the words had just slipped out of Shiro’s mouth without a second thought.

Adam’s eyes had widened in surprise, Shiro’s hand still cupping one side of his face where he had placed it before suddenly blurting out such a confession, sending Adam’s thoughts flying out of the window in the process and cheeks burning as he tried to register his words.

The rain had been both a surprise and a relief, sweet droplets replacing the silence that had fallen between them, falling heavily from above as if the sky had suddenly opened, the kind of rain that happened without warning in summer nights.

It was, undoubtedly, an Adam thing.

It may have been because of the unexpected of the situation, but Adam felt a giggle form in his throat, turning into proper laughter when he got a look of Shiro’s dumbfounded expression, holding an arm around his waist as he bended over in his seat. Shiro chuckled at his reaction, unable to stop it, and suddenly they both found themselves laughing at the hilarity of it all, rain falling hardly as if it tried to drench them from head to toes, laughing until they ran out of air and the tension had vanished from their bodies.

“You think so?” Adam had giggled, still feeling kind of light hearted as he grabbed Shiro by the collar of his jacket, pulling him down into a kiss that left them both breathless by its intensity.

“Think again then, Takashi,” he whispered, his chest still trembling with laughter as happy tears mixed with the rain, and Shiro marvelled at the honesty in his eyes, “because I have no doubt I love you.” 

When they kissed again the sun had replaced the clouds up in the sky and Adam giggled in delight at Shiro’s murmurs of tasting the rainbow on his lips.

***

Shiro looked down to the waves crashing against the rocks, loud and angry and making the wind roar with its force, reacting to his presence like a wild animal.

It was different from what Adam told about the sea in his letters, crystalline green and with waves so calm that even an infant could play in it, but it was all Shiro had known his whole life and he closed his eyes and tried to picture it being any different with no avail.

The dark waters of the Winter Realm’s sea will never be pacific, nor would Shiro’s powers ever be gentle. It was not in their nature.

Shiro took an step forward into the waters, ice extending through is surface like a blanket, freezing it in strange shapes and leaving a path for the King to walk on at his command.

He had done that with lakes before, and rivers and cascades, and everything he could reach with his influence, soft white covering every inch of the ground as winter reclaimed it, always on time, always on duty.

Playing around with their powers like the warm seasons’ representatives did was not something the Winter king or the Autumn herald could ever fathom. The beauty of their seasons held a bitter aftertaste, and so they learnt to control it and their emotions. Because no outburst was worth the loss of any life, only releasing their grip during their seasonal time.

It was hard but their connection to earth did more than compensate for it and so Shiro had been happy about it for the past eight centuries, until it wasn’t enough. Until he got tired of waiting and longing.

He was breaking so many rules now by using his powers outside his season, and his wrongdoing echoed in the air around him, cracking sounds filling the mist as the cold winter tried to impose over autumn’s natural presence.

Shiro could almost hear Iverson’s sharp words in his mind, scolding him for being too sentimental, for letting himself get carried away by a whim.

But as he remembered Adam’s blushed face in the last ball, recalling the sound of his voice as he told him about his family, the shine in his eyes when they separated after a kiss, Shiro knew he couldn’t regret it. He needed to see him, to touch him. He needed _him_.

 _Destiny chose for us to be separated,_ Adam had said on his last letter, which rested now on Shiro's wooden desk back at the castle, _but it won't stop me from loving you._

Because letters, letters weren't enough.

Motivated by his own memories, Shiro found himself smiling as he ran on the ice, the faster he moved, the chiller the air around him got, until snow was pouring from the sky despite being the second day of Autumn, only one day after the Equinox.

Winter wasn’t near but it had come all the same.

****

“The Winter King has broken the first rule,” Coran announced when the rest of the courtiers had left the stance, and Adam felt the air leave his lungs as he took in his words.

“He has left his realm outside his seasonal time this morning and ice is expanding as we talk through the rest of the other realms. The only reason it hasn’t reached here yet it’s because it’s autumn, but it would the longer he stays out of his kingdom. This could have been atrocious if it had been spring.”

Or summer.

Adam didn’t need to ask why he had been informed this, he was just surprised no one else had brought it up in that day’s meeting. He guessed the reason was that it wasn’t common knowledge yet, the disturbance only sensed by the prior representatives (now guardians) of each season, but it was only a matter of time until that changed too.

The turmoil of emotions in his chest increased as he directed his gaze towards the sea in front of his palace, his thoughts running as he recognised the pulling of his powers against his will, as if trying to reach towards a point on the horizon, making a path for Adam to follow.

“Don’t stop him,” Adam pleaded, his eyes watering against his will, his voice breathless. “Please.”

_Let him arrive. Let me see him._

Coran’s eyes softened before shaking his head with sadness.

“I cannot do that, boy. Not anymore.” He looked pointedly at Adam’s laurel crown, the symbol of his power, before winking. “Only the king can voice against the council’s orders.”

For anyone less desperate, it was madness. It would put Adam in a risky political situation and he would have hesitated if he wasn’t partially responsible of the whole ordeal. Because Shiro had crossed the line to see him, and the only thing left for Adam to do was take a position on the matter.

He had to make a decision.

“Anyone who dares getting in the Winter King’s way will get punished by my own hand.” He voiced, and Coran nodded in understanding before making a short reverence. He was smiling. “No one is admitted inside or around the palace until I say otherwise.”

The crown on Adam’s head felt particularly heavy as he saw him part with his message.

“Young love,” the old man had said as he departed, in a fondly sigh, “How could I get between that?”

Before the door had fully closed behind Coran, Adam was already moving, heading into the part of the castle that leaded to the beach, and barely thinking about the stair’s steps as his eyes roamed in the ocean, searching for a figure, a shadow.

When he found it, Adam’s feet touching wet sand only for an instant before controlling the waves to propel himself above the water, Adam closed his eyes to focus on his presence. The cold nature of an opposite season reaching to him, looking for any intermediary to avoid the crash.

And maybe there had been an intervention, maybe Veronica and Matt had done something, alerted by their own courtiers and prepared in case Adam complied to Shiro’s call, because when their powers collided, when they ran into each other’s arms, nothing exploded, nothing went wrong.

Adam’s fingers were warm as the sun as he caressed Shiro’s frozen cheeks, Shiro’s rough palms creating snowflakes on Adam’s uncovered skin as he pulled him closer. Their natures shining like a blade to anyone else’s eyes, hurting even themselves in the process of finding a balance, to warm up the cold, to cool down the warmth, making them glow under the twilight.

“Choose me,” Shiro said between kisses, that tasted sweet and salty at the same time because of their tears. “When all of this ends, please, choose me.”

It wouldn’t be immediate. There were still apprentices to be chosen, explaining their decision to their respective courts, letting the world know about their relationship and avoid the repercussion of that day’s actions. It would take a long time and it would be tiring and they would not have the opportunity to sneaking off to any garden to steal some kisses and dances anymore. At least one more century where the only thing they would have left would be their correspondence, just as it all began.

Choosing to be together meant giving up their thrones and the powers they had wield for centuries, that had become part of them, for their love.

And yet Adam accepted, because in his heart he knew he didn’t need them to be happy, spending his future with Shiro was everything he wanted.

And Shiro laughed in victory before spinning Adam around, the corner of his eyes wrinkling as he smiled with pure joy, and Adam didn’t hesitate in kissing the scar on the bridge of his nose, giggling and muttering love confessions as Shiro covered his face in kisses.

The kiss that followed, a kiss full of love and excitement, wasn’t one of silent promises and uncertain hope like all the ones until then, but a kiss of closure, a kiss of certainty. A kiss that promised not to be the last.

*****

**Epilogue:**

There is no direct connection between Summer and Winter as seasons pass. There must be always something in between, an equinox, another season, to smooth down the process of change, and so those two inevitable forces, who fell in love despite the opposite of their natures, wandered caged by their own power, unable to meet outside the sacred time of the Equinox.

Or so they were.

Matt smiled when he received the envelope. It wasn’t directed to Adam nor Shiro but for him, and for once, Matt was glad to see their names on the front.

He had been waiting for his invitation the moment Adam and Shiro had announced their retirement, neither of them willing to extend their reign for another millennia as many others had done before them. They weren’t so patient.

_To our best friend and greatest ally,_ said the envelope and Matt snickered at the words that followed, _who is also sometimes our mailman._

But neither were they irresponsible (except for that not-so-little slip one hundred years ago but Matt had forgiven them about it, even if some others hadn’t), neither of them leaving their positions until their apprentices were ready to replace them, stepping down only when they were sure they had left the realm in good hands, hands that were ready, apprentices that _felt_ ready, to bear the responsibility.

Now, twelve months after the ascension of the new Winter king and only four after the Summer’s one, Matt was receiving the invitation to his best friends’ wedding, without him having been involved in any step of its delivery after nine hundred years.

Saying that he was happy was putting it short.

Cancelling the lessons of that day with his apprentice, Matt headed to his study to write his reply, ink barely dried before he put it in an envelope and called a servant, stopping himself before they could send it away.

After all, why even bother in leaving it to someone else? There was no one faster than him in the Season’s realm for such a chore and he may as well use the opportunity to join his friends in teatime that day, and so Matt put on his best boots, not willing to waste any more time.

They had already had enough of that.

\-------F I N------

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to my lovely beta Ana who i love very much, and all the readers that reached the end, i hope you had liked it ;3c
> 
> (I may or may not make a lotura sequel out of this xD, i'm having Ideas(TM))


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